Apple Has Finally Released A FaceTime Fix That You Need To Download Right Now

The software update fixes a bug that allowed callers to listen to and watch other users without their permission.

stockcam via Getty ImagesApple has released a software update that fixes a glitch that allowed users to listen to and watch other FaceTime callers, even if they didn’t accept the call.

Apple has released an update for its flawed FaceTime video calling feature that allowed users to listen to and watch other callers through their devices, even if they didn’t give their permission.

Users can download the new software update, labeled iOS 12.1.4, by going to their device’s Settings, then General and then Software Update.

In a statement obtained by Business Insider﻿, Apple confirmed the update and said it also conducted a “thorough security audit of the FaceTime service and made additional updates to both the FaceTime app and server to improve security.”

Apple temporarily disabled the program after the glitch was discovered late last month, leading to a consumer alert by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D).

The House Energy and Commerce Committee and its subcommittee on consumer protection also slammed Apple’s FaceTime flaw on Tuesday as “a significant privacy violation.”

Committee Chairman Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.) and Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee Chairwoman Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) sent a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook seeking full transparency on what happened and when and how the error occurred.

“While these are wonderful tools when used right, the serious privacy issue with Group FaceTime demonstrates how these devices can also become the ultimate spying machines,” Pallone and Schakowsky said. “That is why it is critical that companies like Apple are held to the highest standards.”